title: A silicon-based electrochemical sensor for highly sensitive, specific, label-free and real-time DNA detection.
abstract: We herein present a new kind of silicon-based electrochemical sensor using a gold nanoparticles-decorated silicon wafer (AuNPs@Si) as a high-performance electrode, which is facilely prepared via in situ AuNPs growth on a silicon wafer. Particularly significantly, the resultant electrochemical sensor is efficacious for label-free DNA detection with high sensitivity due to the unique merits of the prepared silicon-based electrode. Typically, DNA at remarkably low concentrations (1-10 fM) could be readily detected without requiring additional signal-amplification procedures, which is better than or comparable to the lowest DNA concentration ever detected via well-studied signal-amplification-assisted electrochemical sensors. Moreover, the silicon-based sensor features high specificity, allowing unambiguous discrimination of single-based mismatches. We further show that real-time DNA assembly is readily monitored via recording the intensity changes of current signals due to the robust thermal stability of the silicon-based electrode. The unprecedented advantages of the silicon-based electrochemical sensor would offer new opportunities for myriad sensing applications.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-based Functional Materials and Devices Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, People's Republic of China. Laboratory of Physical Biology, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Shao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xinpan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yiling
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chunhai
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D015374:Biosensing Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003199:Computer Systems; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013194:Staining and Labeling
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D012825:Silicon